Question

Can you suggest a method to remove oil (hydrocarbon) from seeds based on your understanding of rDNA technology and the chemistry of oil?

Answer 1

rDNA technology is a genetic engineering approach that combines DNA from two separate sources to create recombined or recombinant DNA (rDNA). Oils consist of glycerol and fatty acids. To make oil-free seeds, genes coding for glycerol or fatty acids should be discovered, and nucleotide sequences complementary to their sequences should be introduced close to these genes in the endosperm’s early cells. During transcription, these complementary sequences produce anti-sense RNAs that are similar to those made by the glycerol or fatty acid genes, which effectively turn off these genes. This will result in the creation of oil-free seeds. Since glycerol is a common component of all oils, and diverse fatty acids interact with glycerol to make oils, it will be easier if we silence the glycerol production gene.